In a significant development that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria's corporate and regulatory circles, business magnate Aliko Dangote has formally called for a corruption investigation into a top government official. The Chairman of the Dangote Group filed a petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
Allegations of Lavish Spending on Swiss Education
The petition, submitted by Dangote's legal team led by Dr. Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, targets Farouk Ahmed, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The core allegation is that Ahmed has been living far beyond his legitimate means as a public servant.
Dangote's petition provides specific details, accusing Ahmed of paying over $7 million in advance tuition fees for four of his children. The funds were allegedly used to cover six years of education at various schools in Switzerland. As part of the evidence submitted to aid the ICPC's investigation, Dangote included the names of the children and the specific institutions they attended.
The businessman argues that given Ahmed's career has been spent entirely in the public sector, such enormous expenditures could not have been financed through his official salary and benefits. The petition asserts that public funds from the NMDPRA were misappropriated to cover these personal costs, effectively diverting resources meant for the Nigerian people.
Legal Grounds and Call for Prosecution
In the document, Dangote cites specific legal provisions to back his request for Ahmed's arrest and prosecution. He references section 19 of the ICPC Act, which empowers the commission to investigate and prosecute acts of corrupt practices.
"It is without doubt that the above facts in relation to abuse of office, breach of Code of Conduct for public officers, corrupt enrichment, and embezzlement are gross acts of corrupt practices," Dangote stated in the petition. He highlighted that conviction for such offences could lead to a five-year prison term without the option of a fine.
Dangote urged the ICPC to act decisively, emphasizing the commission's role in prosecuting financial crimes and safeguarding public administration integrity. "We make bold to state that the ICPC is strategically positioned, along with sister agencies, to prosecute financial crimes... and upon establishing a prima facie case, the courts do not hesitate to punish offenders," the petition read.
The industrialist expressed his readiness to personally provide further evidence if summoned by the anti-graft agency. He also framed the issue as one of broader public interest, crucial for ensuring transparency and accountability within President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration.
Backlash from Lawyers' Coalition
Meanwhile, the allegations have sparked a strong counter-reaction from a group of legal professionals. A coalition identifying as Lawyers in Defence of Democracy and Anti-Corruption, comprising 40 lawyers, held a press conference in Abuja on the same Tuesday.
The group vehemently condemned the accusations against the NMDPRA CEO, describing them as "frivolous, baseless and unfounded." In a statement jointly addressed by Barrister Emeka Okafor (National Coordinator) and Barrister Mohammed Bello (Secretary), the lawyers criticized what they termed a "media trial."
They warned that attempts to portray Ahmed as guilty in the court of public opinion, without recourse to due process, undermine democracy, the rule of law, and investor confidence in Nigeria's critical oil and gas sector. This development sets the stage for a contentious legal and procedural battle, pitting one of Africa's richest men against a sitting regulatory chief, with the nation's anti-corruption framework squarely in the spotlight.
